Petition aims to tackle waste on our beaches
A CONSERVATION charity has today launched a petition which aims to tackle what it says is a growing waste problem on our beaches.
The Marine Conservation Society (MCS) is urging people in South Wales to back its call for deposit points for bottles and drinks containers to be installed and for fast food packaging to be fully compostable.
The plea follows data collected by the MCS in Wales which shows a steady rise in the number of caps, lids and glass bottles found on Welsh beaches in the last five years as well as an increase in the number of polystyrene and plastic takeaway food containers.
Both plastic and polystyrene take hundreds of years to biodegrade.
Dr Sue Kinsey, MCS technical specialist, said: “We’re asking the Welsh Assembly to urge the Welsh Government to tackle the problem of bottles, cans and takeaway containers on our beaches.
“Deposit return systems – where people can return their bottles and cans and get their deposit back – have been known to increase high-quality recycling levels to over 90% in other parts of the world and decrease littering. Imagine that in Wales.
“Plus, if all takeaway containers were fully compostable in Wales, there would be a really positive impact on litter levels across Welsh beaches.”
In July last year, residents in Barry were left horrified at the mountains of litter left behind on Barry Island beach by some of the hundreds who flocked there to enjoy the sunshine on what was the hottest day of the year.
Councillor Neil Moore, leader of the Vale of Glamorgan Council, branded it “a disgrace.”
The MCS now wants people who live in Wales to sign their petition, hosted on the National Assembly for Wales website.
The charity hopes to get at least 5,000 signatures, which will trigger a debate at the Welsh Assembly.
Dr Kinsey continued: “People throw containers away, without realising that they can remain in the environment for hundreds of years.
“That’s why we want people to support our petition to reduce this type of litter either by making better use of the material or if it does become litter, being sure it will compost down.”